Your Dr Martens scuff the pavement, your vintage levi’s strain at the knee, there is a floral scrunchy around your wrist, and The Courtney’s tune ‘Tour’ blares the fist pumping, hip jerking, lady rock anthem.
The 90’s inspired, girl power fuelled second album The Courtneys II unites bubblegum pop aesthetic with a special blend of fuzzy grunge. The Vancouver trio, proudly signed to the iconic punk/pop New Zealand based Flying Nun Records, draws strong influences from alums such as Pavement, The Clean and The Chills. Punk is the backbone of their sound provided through Sydney Koke’s driving basslines and jangly punk chords. Courtney Loove’s dreamy guitar riffs add a timeless power-pop element, supported with drummer/lead singer Jen Twynn Payne’s heartfelt lyrics.
They capture perfectly the teen day-dream phase- many of the songs including ‘Delivery Boy’, and ‘Silver Velvet’ feel like your being swept up into the heart-beat rampant, accidental hand-brushing laden pages of your old padlocked, glittery diary. “I watched you play guitar all night. Blonde hair, you’re really quite a sight.” (Delivery Boy) “Running through the field in a velvet gown, thinkin’ of him as the rain falls down.” (Nu Sundae) “And nothing you say!/ And nothing you do!/ Could stop me from thinkin’ about you!” (Silver Velvet). The perfect soundtrack for a pillow-fighting, sundae eating slumber party, to be shouted into a hairbrush-microphone, ‘The Courtney’s II’ provides an accurate insight and anchored feel of the heart-wrenching plights of the angsty girl- kicking ass and looking killer as she goes.
4/5
Flying Nun Records
Reviewed by Megan McNeel